Simon Phipps (programmer)

{{Short description|Computer scientist and web and open source advocate}}

{{for|the game designer|Simon Phipps (game designer)}}

File:Simon Phipps at the Wikimedia Foundation office in April 2018.jpg

Simon Phipps is a computer scientist and web and open source advocate.

Phipps was instrumental in IBM's involvement in the Java programming language, founding IBM's Java Technology Center.{{Cite web |date=May 26, 1998 |title=Ibm Java Evangelist Speaks Of Java Tsunami |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CGN/is_n3418/ai_20635325/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708011827/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CGN/is_n3418/ai_20635325/ |archive-date=8 July 2012 |website=Computergram International |publisher=Business Library}} He left IBM for Sun Microsystems in 2000, taking leadership of Sun's open source programme from Danese Cooper.{{Cite web |last=Montalbano |first=Elizabeth |date=2005-08-18 |title=Sun exec takes control of open source projects |url=http://www.infoworld.com/t/platforms/sun-exec-takes-control-open-source-projects-428 |website=InfoWorld |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203031753/http://www.infoworld.com/t/platforms/sun-exec-takes-control-open-source-projects-428 |archive-date= Feb 3, 2014 }} Under Phipps, most of Sun's core software was released under open source licenses, including Solaris and Java.{{cite web |url-status=dead |title=The ripple effect of a GPL'd Java will reach far and wide |url=http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3937 |first1=David |last1=Berlind |date=November 13, 2006 |work=Between the Lines |publisher=ZDNet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612072254/http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3937 |archive-date=2008-06-12 }}

Phipps was not hired into Oracle as part of the acquisition of Sun Microsystems and his final day was March 8, 2010 when the two entities combined. Following Sun, he spent a year as Chief Strategy Officer of identity startup ForgeRock{{Cite web|url=http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Simon-Phipps-joins-open-identity-startup-ForgeRock-996390.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208021808/http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Simon-Phipps-joins-open-identity-startup-ForgeRock-996390.html|archive-date=2013-12-08|title=Simon Phipps joins open identity startup ForgeRock |website=The H Open |date=10 May 2010 }} before becoming an independent consultant. In 2015 he briefly joined Wipro Technologies as director of their open source advisory practice.{{cite web|last1=Phipps|first1=Simon|title=New role at Wipro|url=http://webmink.com/2015/03/02/new-job/|website=Wild Webmink|date=2 March 2015|accessdate=15 May 2015}}

Phipps was President of the Open Source Initiative{{cite web |title=Board - Annotated |website=OSI |url=http://www.opensource.org/docs/board-annotated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222162838/http://opensource.org/docs/board-annotated |archive-date=2010-12-22 }}{{cite web | title=OSI Board Meeting Report | url=http://opensource.org/node/662 | date=2013-05-11 |publisher=Open Source Initiative |work=webmink's blog | accessdate=2013-05-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618061928/http://opensource.org/node/662 |archive-date= Jun 18, 2013 }} until 2015 when he stepped down in preparation for the end of his Board term in 2016,{{cite web|last1=Phipps|first1=Simon|title=Handing On The Baton|url=http://opensource.org/node/747|publisher=Open Source Initiative |date=2015-05-14 |accessdate=15 May 2015|archive-date=21 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121095939/http://opensource.org/node/747|url-status=dead}} and was re-elected in 2017 and re-appointed President by the Board in September 2017.{{cite web|last1=Randal|first1=Allison|title=Transitions in Leadership|url=https://opensource.org/node/902|website=Open Source Initiative |date=2017-09-28 |accessdate=2 October 2017|archive-date=1 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001085856/https://opensource.org/node/902|url-status=dead}} He was a board member of the Open Rights Group{{Cite web |title=Directors |url=http://www.openrightsgroup.org/people/board#simon_phipps |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511231250/http://www.openrightsgroup.org/people/board#simon_phipps |archive-date=May 11, 2020 |website=Open Rights Group}} and The Document Foundation{{cite web|title=Board|url=https://www.documentfoundation.org/governance/board/|publisher=The Document Foundation|accessdate=8 July 2016 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160709184905/https://www.documentfoundation.org/governance/board/ |archive-date= Jul 9, 2016 }} and on the advisory board of Open Source for America.{{cite web|url=http://www.opensourceforamerica.org/board |website=OSFA |title=Board of Advisors |accessdate=2009-11-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209040108/http://www.opensourceforamerica.org/board |archivedate=2010-02-09 }} He has served on a number of advisory boards for other projects, including as CEO of the MariaDB Foundation,{{cite news | url=https://webmink.com/2013/04/18/taking-mariadb-foundation-forward/ | title=Taking MariaDB Foundation Forward | last=Phipps | first=Simon | work=Webmink | date=2013-04-18 | accessdate=2016-08-07}}{{cite news | url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/look-out-oracle-skysql-and-mariadb-join-forces/ | title=Look out, Oracle: SkySQL and MariaDB join forces | last=Vaughan-Nichols | first=Steven J. | work=ZDNet | date=2013-04-23 | access-date=2013-05-08}}{{cite web | url=https://plus.google.com/+SimonPhipps/posts/awZg3aBfA33 | first1=Simon |last1=Phipps |title=SkySQL bought the MariaDB trademark when it purchased Monty's company Monty Program AB, and it has decided to rename itself using the trademark (like MongoDB before it). |date=Oct 1, 2014 | publisher=Google+ | accessdate=8 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141208181933/https://plus.google.com/+SimonPhipps/posts/awZg3aBfA33 |archive-date= 8 December 2014 }} and at the GNOME Foundation,{{cite web |url=http://foundation.gnome.org/about/ |title=About the GNOME Foundation |website=GNOME Foundation |accessdate=2008-07-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110908000029/http://foundation.gnome.org/about/ |archivedate=2011-09-08 }} OpenSolaris,{{cite web |url=http://poll.opensolaris.org/4/ |title=Poll 4: Board Election 2009/Change Constitution |website=poll.opensolaris.org |accessdate=2009-11-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091030220617/http://poll.opensolaris.org/4/ |archivedate=2009-10-30 }} OpenJDK,{{Cite web |title=Governing Board |url=http://openjdk.java.net/groups/gb/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606190102/http://openjdk.java.net/groups/gb/ |archive-date=Jun 6, 2022 |website=OpenJDK}} and OpenSPARC{{Cite web |date=2 October 2006 |title=Governance |url=http://www.opensparc.net/community/governance.html |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502055210/http://www.opensparc.net/community/governance.html |archive-date=May 2, 2012 |website=Open Source Community}} and most recently the AlmaLinux OS Foundation.{{Cite web|title=We strive to be transparent. |url=https://wiki.almalinux.org/Transparency.html|access-date=2021-06-25|website=AlmaLinux Wiki |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625213916/https://wiki.almalinux.org/Transparency.html |archive-date= Jun 25, 2021 }}

He has appeared as a guest and occasional co-host on episodes of the FLOSS Weekly podcast.{{cite web |url=https://twit.tv/episodes?filter%5Bshows%5D=1639&credits_people=56711 |website=TWiT | title=FLOSS Weekly episodes with Simon Phipps| accessdate=2021-02-07 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206233313/https://twit.tv/episodes?filter%5Bshows%5D=1639&credits_people=56711 |archive-date= Feb 6, 2022 }}